Goodbye January, Hello February

January started out exactly the way I had planned for it; I’d had plenty to drink, I was happily dancing and singing my heart out to the man I love. I stumbled home as happy as anything within the first few hours of the year and I went to sleep next to a man who I call my best friend. A pretty good start indeed. Of course the month wasn’t all full of moments like that – no period of time will ever contain solely high points.

January began with a realisation that although throughout the next year there would be a lot for me to experience – both bad and good – it didn’t matter what happened. What mattered was that this year is about me, in the most selfish way possible I want to make this my year. If theres something in my life that isn’t making me happy and isn’t making me the best person I can be, why do I want that in my life?

I enjoyed a night at the O2 watching the impractical jokers do what they do and I enjoyed laughing with my boyfriend and his brother on a day where I got news that didn’t make me quite so happy. Going to this show meant that I spent the night in London with my best friend and in the morning he surprised me by taking me out for breakfast at a french café and buying me a breakfast which he deserved for me to have bought him.

I enjoyed a weekend back at my family home this month which is always lovely and was made more lovely by the fact that I received an invite to my brothers wedding. I got to see all of my brothers and sister and we all enjoyed a Christmas dinner to make up for the fact we didn’t get to do it all together on the day, we all drank a bit too much and laughed just enough. The following day before coming home, I enjoyed treating my mum for a change and setting up an afternoon tea with everything a table needs to look beautiful (and plenty of drinks!)

My final win for the month was that I finally got around to reading a story that I have always wanted to read. I picked up a copy of the Railway children for just 10p at a jumble sale and I got straight to reading it. I was pleasantly surprised by the story and just how quickly I was engrossed.

One thing I really enjoyed doing in January was organising a date night. Since moving to Essex and taking on a few more financial pressures, date nights have been something that are particularly lacking – we will often opt for a take out that we nosh in front of the TV rather than going out, sitting across from one another and really talking. Theres something to going out, putting your phones away and really talking to one another and it’s something that I really want to do more of in 2017. I started the ball rolling with a surprise dinner at Frankie and Bennies, the first place we ate together and I look forward to many more opportunities for us to really enjoy and appreciate one another.

What did I achieve?

This is a question that I believe it is always important to ask yourself, whether it’s specific as in what did I achieve today or more general – what have I achieved in my life? In January, I believe I have achieved a great deal. I attended and completed a first aid course for work, I passed with 100%, something which I am genuinely proud of myself for. I got the underground into London by myself, a small and meaningless task for many but for me it was a great achievement and doing it made me feel proud of myself. I completed important work for my apprenticeship and I took time to focus on me and what makes me happy. I continued to volunteer and help to run a brownie pack – something which I don’t have to do but something that gives me a great deal of joy and purpose.

February 2017

I may have started this month ill and in bed, but I’ve already achieved something – I’ve started this blog and I’ve started a platform for me to build on over the coming months. I have a number of things planned for this month including heading home for a weekend of birthdays and seeing family, I have lots of days off to focus on coursework and being productive and I have my boyfriend’s birthday to look forward to. I’m sure that throughout the month there will be plenty of unexpected surprises both lovely and perhaps some not so lovely.

I know that there may well be a few bumps along the way, be these financial – my apprenticeship wage is causing many a ‘no spend’ for me at the moment, they may be in the form of people who I perhaps don’t want to see or it may be more news that I just might not be ready to hear. Despite knowing this, I am incredibly excited to start chapter two and I’m sure that there will be plenty of lovely and happy to sprinkle over the shit.